Bed sheet retention systems, system components, and methods of making and using the same

Abstract

Bed sheet retention devices, bed sheet retention systems, and system components, are disclosed. Methods of making and using bed sheet retention devices, bed sheet retention systems, and system components are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bed sheet retention system (or kit)  1000  comprising:
 (I) one or more brackets  10 / 40 , wherein each bracket  10 / 40  comprises:
 (a) a horizontally-extending bracket component  11  sized and designed to extend between a bottom surface  51  of a mattress  50  and a support surface  60  under the bottom surface  51 ; and 
 (b) one or more sheet-engaging channels  12  connected to said horizontally-extending bracket component  11 , 
 
 wherein each sheet-engaging channel  12  (1) comprises a sheet-locking member  13  extending along an outer surface  16 / 46  of each bracket  10 / 40 , and (2) extends substantially within a plane P parallel with said horizontally-extending bracket component  11 , and 
 wherein each of said one or more sheet-locking members  13  comprises (i) an upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U, and (ii) a lower sheet-locking channel member  13 L positioned below and spaced from said upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U, wherein each of said upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U and said lower sheet-locking channel member  13 L are designed to engage with one or more sheet locking strips  30 ; and 
 (II) one or more sheet locking strips  30 , each sheet locking strip  30  being sized and designed to engage with and extend from (i) said upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U to (ii) said lower sheet-locking channel member  13 L of each bracket  10 / 40 . 
 
     
     
         2 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more brackets  10 / 40  comprises one or more corner brackets  10 , and each of said one or more corner brackets  10  comprises one or more sheet-engaging channels  12  with each sheet-engaging channel  12  comprising (a) two sheet-locking members  13   a / 13   b,  and (b) an open guided section  14  extending around a corner  15  of the corner bracket  10 . 
     
     
         3 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more corner brackets  10  comprises four or more corner brackets  10 . 
     
     
         4 . The bed sheet retention device  100 / 200  of  claim 3 , wherein said one or more brackets  10 / 40  comprises one or more side brackets  40 , and each side bracket  40  independently comprises one or more sheet-engaging channels  12 , and each sheet-engaging channel  12  extends along a side edge (i.e., not a corner) of the mattress  50  and the support surface  60 . 
     
     
         5 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 4 , wherein said one or more side brackets  40  comprises two or more side brackets  40 . 
     
     
         6 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more sheet locking strips  30  comprises four or more sheet locking strips  30 . 
     
     
         7 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more sheet-engaging channels  12  comprises two or more sheet-engaging channels  12 . 
     
     
         8 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 7 , wherein said two or more sheet-engaging channels  12  are parallel with one another along the outer surface  16 / 46  of each bracket  10 / 40 . 
     
     
         9 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more sheet-engaging channels  12  comprises two or three sheet-engaging channels  12 . 
     
     
         10 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 1 , wherein each of said one or more sheet-engaging channels  12  comprises a track profile having (i) a track profile length L TP  of from about 2.5 inches (in) to about 67.5 in, (ii) a track profile height H TP  of from about 0.3 in to about 3.0 in, and (iii) a track profile width W TP  of from about 0.1 in to about 1.5 in. 
     
     
         11 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 1 , further comprising: (III) one or more attachable accessories  300 , wherein each attachable accessory  300  comprises: (a) at least one accessory connecting member  301 , and (b) an accessory body  302  connected to and extending from the at least one accessory connecting member  301 , wherein the at least one accessory connecting member  301  is configured (i.e., designed) to extend within and connect to one or more sheet-engaging channels  12  of the one or more brackets  10 / 40  so as to position at least a portion of said accessory body  302  (i) above the one or more sheet-engaging channels  12 , and/or (ii) below the one or more sheet-engaging channels  12 , and/or (iii) within plane P. 
     
     
         12 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 11 , wherein each of said at least one accessory connecting members  301  comprises a vertically-extending connecting strip component  303  attached to said accessory body  302  via one or more intermediate connecting members  304 . 
     
     
         13 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 11 , wherein said accessory body  302  comprises an accessory body surface  308  that is structurally capable of supporting an object resting on and/or connected to the accessory body surface  308 , wherein the object comprises one or more of: a book, a drink container (e.g., a cup or glass or bottle), a food container (e.g., a plate of food), a computer pad, a laptop computer, a cell phone, a lamp, a television remote, an air freshener, a picture frame, vehicle keys, a piece of clothing, a towel, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 11 , wherein a position of said accessory body  302  relative to said at least one accessory connecting member  301  is adjustable (a) within a horizontal plane P H  so that the accessory body  302  can be moved towards or away from the at least one accessory connecting member  301  within a given horizontal plane P H , (b) within a vertical plane P V  so that the accessory body  302  can be moved up or down relative to the at least one accessory connecting member  301  within a given horizontal plane P H , or (c) both (a) and (b). 
     
     
         15 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 1 , further comprising: (IV) one or more inflatable bladders  80 , wherein each inflatable bladder  80  is usable with and/or connectable to one or more of the one or more brackets  10 / 40 . 
     
     
         16 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 15 , wherein said one or more inflatable bladders  80  comprises four or more inflatable bladders  80 . 
     
     
         17 . A bed sheet retention system (or kit)  1000  comprising:
 (I) one or more corner brackets  10 , wherein each corner bracket  10  comprises:
 (a) a horizontally-extending bracket component  11  sized and designed to extend between a bottom surface  51  of a mattress  50  and a support surface  60  under the bottom surface  51 ; and 
 (b) one or more sheet-engaging channels  12  connected to said horizontally-extending bracket component  11  with each sheet-engaging channel  12  comprising (i) two sheet-locking members  13   a / 13   b  extending along an outer surface  16  of each corner bracket  10 , and (ii) an open guided section  14  extending around a corner  15  of the corner bracket  10  and between the two sheet-locking members  13   a / 13   b;    
 
 wherein each sheet-engaging channel  12  extends substantially within a plane P parallel with said horizontally-extending bracket component  11 , and 
 wherein each of said two sheet-locking members  13   a / 13   b  comprises (i) an upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U, and (ii) a lower sheet-locking channel member  13 L positioned below and spaced from said upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U, wherein each of said upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U and said lower sheet-locking channel member  13 L are designed to engage with one or more sheet locking strips  30 ; and 
 (II) one or more sheet locking strips  30 , each sheet locking strip  30  being sized and designed to engage with and extend from (i) said upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U to (ii) said lower sheet-locking channel member  13 L of each bracket  10 / 40 . 
 
     
     
         18 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more corner brackets  10  comprises four or more corner brackets  10 . 
     
     
         19 . A bed sheet retention system (or kit)  1000  comprising:
 (I) one or more brackets  10 / 40 , wherein each bracket  10 / 40  comprises:
 (a) a horizontally-extending bracket component  11  sized and designed to extend between a bottom surface  51  of a mattress  50  and a support surface  60  under the bottom surface  51 ; and 
 (b) one or more sheet-engaging channels  12  connected to said horizontally-extending bracket component  11 , 
 
 wherein each sheet-engaging channel  12  (1) comprises a sheet-locking member  13  extending along an outer surface  16 / 46  of each bracket  10 / 40 , and (2) extends substantially within a plane P parallel with said horizontally-extending bracket component  11 , and 
 wherein each of said one or more sheet-locking members  13  comprises (i) an upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U, and (ii) a lower sheet-locking channel member  13 L positioned below and spaced from said upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U, wherein each of said upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U and said lower sheet-locking channel member  13 L are designed to engage with one or more sheet locking strips  30 ; and 
 (II) one or more sheet locking strips  30 , each sheet locking strip  30  being sized and designed to engage with and extend from (i) said upper sheet-locking channel member  13 U to (ii) said lower sheet-locking channel member  13 L of each bracket  10 / 40 ; and 
 (III) one or more attachable accessories  300 , wherein each attachable accessory  300  comprises: (a) at least one accessory connecting member  301 , and (b) an accessory body  302  connected to and extending from the at least one accessory connecting member  301 , wherein the at least one accessory connecting member  301  is configured (i.e., designed) to extend within and connect to one or more sheet-engaging channels  12  of the one or more brackets  10 / 40  so as to position at least a portion of said accessory body  302  (i) above the one or more sheet-engaging channels  12 , and/or (ii) below the one or more sheet-engaging channels  12 , and/or (iii) within plane P. 
 
     
     
         20 . The bed sheet retention system  1000  of  claim 19 , wherein said accessory body  302  comprises (A) an accessory body surface  308  that is structurally capable of supporting an object resting on and/or connected to the accessory body surface  308 , wherein the object comprises one or more of: a book, a drink container (e.g., a cup or glass or bottle), a food container (e.g., a plate of food), a computer pad, a laptop computer, a cell phone, a lamp, a television remote, an air freshener, a picture frame, vehicle keys, a piece of clothing, a towel, or any combination thereof; (B) one or more features selected from: (i) a ledge or rim  313  (see,  FIG.  27 A ) extending along an accessory body surface  308  of said accessory body  302 , (ii) a hole  311  extending through an accessory body surface  308  of said accessory body  302 , (iii) a clip or clamping member (not shown) suitable for fastening an object (e.g., a book, a phone, a computer pad or tablet, etc.) to an accessory body surface  308  of said accessory body  302 , (iv) a clothes hanger for hanging one or more items of clothing (not shown), (v) a towel rack for hanging one or more towels (not shown), (vi) a scented or scent-generating component to provide a scent in the area near accessory body  302 , (vii) a cup-/glass-holding feature (see, exemplary cup-holding accessory  300  shown in  FIGS.  26 A- 26 B , and exemplary cup-holder accessory  300  holding cup  342  shown in  FIG.  31 C , (viii) a bedside holster (i.e., for a hand gun or long gun), (ix) a bedside light/lamp  341  as shown in  FIG.  31 A  or  FIG.  31 B , a fan  346  as shown in  FIG.  31 D , an articulated arm  347  as shown in  FIG.  31 E , a scent pod  348  as shown in  FIG.  31 F , a bed railing  349  as shown in  FIG.  31 G , a kickstand component  346  as shown in  FIG.  31 H , or any combinations thereof; (C) one or more electronic components therein and/or thereon (not shown), the one or more electronic components comprising one or more of (i) a phone charging outlet, (ii) a 120V outlet (e.g., a standard home outlet), (iii) a music-generating device (e.g., a music speaker and/or Bluetooth component), (iv) a television screen or computer screen, (v) a charging pad (i.e., induction charging), and/or (vi) a medical device (e.g., to monitor a patient, to display patient information, etc.); or (D) any combination of (A), (B), and (C).